The After Life of a Mission
by aerisviii
Summary: The morning after Depths, and Artemis' funeral. Spitfire. Dick/Wally bromance-ish. T for language.


**A/N: I'm rusty. And I tried. I'm serious. I tried.**

I can smell pancakes cooking somewhere near. The pillow under my cheek smells of lavender and is soft, like a cloud. I reach for Artemis, but she isn't there. I open my eyes, and I realize that I am not at my home in Palo Alto. The walls are a dark shade of blue, the bed is a single bed- a bed for one, and there is an array of fancy gadgets on a desk in the corner of the room. I don't know how I got here, when I got here, or where this is. I want some answers.

As I stand up, my head starts hurting, pounding, like it's about to split in half. I step unto the cold floor and proceed to follow that wonderful scent of batter frying on a pan.

Instead of seeing my girlfriend at the stove, I see Dick in a frilly green apron, trying to make me breakfast. He has a black eye, which is uncanny, for he is Dick Grayson, Nightwing, how could someone actually hit him without getting sent to the ER? Why would someone actually hit him?

"Hello there, my friend." Dick says.

"There's no need to be fancy. How did I get here, dude?"

"You don't remember? You passed out after a night's drinking."

"And why exactly did I take in that much alcohol? And how'd you get that black eye?"

"What's with all the questions? Don't you remember? You smacked me for sending your girlfriend on a mission that could be her last." He replies.

Everything comes back to my head now.

I remember Artemis and her fake death. I remember our last goodbye, our last kiss, our last hug. Her grey eyes that glowed in the darkness of the warehouse. The submarine slowly sinking into the murky blue waters of Blüdhaven. Tears fill my eyes as all the memories of the night before resonate through mind.

"Yes, I remember now. You're a sick fuck. Do you know that? I mean, we were happy and you just had to stomp on that, did you?" I say angrily as I throw everything I can get my hands on at him.

"Wally, you have to understand, this was her doing! She chose this fate and you have to accept that." Dick replies as he slowly saunters towards me, "And her funeral's today."

"How could you tell me that? Her funeral? Do you know how much that hurts me?"

"I know how you fee-"

"Oh shut up, everyone says that."

"Don't you remember? I saw my parents' death, Wally. I know how much this hurts, but Artemis isn't really dead!"

"She might as well be. She's gone, Dick. She might actually die there, and I won't be able to do anything about it."

"Well, you're her boyfriend, you have to show up. Say few words, keep this act running. Do it for her."

"Fine, I will." I say as I finish my stack of pancakes, which were not bad, but tasted oddly like cardboard.

* * *

I can see everyone gathering around my tombstone. (Wait, that felt really weird to say.) Tears form in my eyes, and as I wipe them away with my sleeve, I see a blur of red.

It's Wally, and his eyes are as bloodshot as mine. He has this really sad look on his face. I guess he isn't a bad actor at all.

He walks up to the grave, bids my mother hello, and sits on the grass. He sighs as he stares somewhere in space. As he opens his mouth to say a few words about me, I run for the woods.

After a few meters, I stop to catch my breath. I collapse on the grass, clutching my stomach as I cry so hard I can't breathe. I come to that point where I run out of tears. I hear some rustling, and I hide behind a tree.

* * *

"She was my greatest friend. My best bro. The most wonderful girlfriend I could ever have."

After saying those words, which I made up on the way to the cemetery, Jade walks up to me and gives me a big, sisterly, bear hug.

"I'll be here for you, okay?" She whispers in my ear between her sniffles.

I feel horrible, lying to Jade, lying to Artemis' whole family, lying about her death, in general. The guilt builds up inside as each person walks up to me and tells me that they pity me, or they know how I feel. I also feel enraged, because they don't know how I feel. Artemis was my spitfire. She was the one. She was everything. And now she ceased to exist. It's a bitter pill to swallow.

I run, not knowing where I'm headed to, and I end up in a forest. Large trees stand around me, and I just break down. I start screaming as loud as I can, relieving all the frustration inside me, but I know that nothing will cure this pain in my heart.

* * *

I peek out, and I see Wally. He's screaming his heart out. I can hear the pain in his voice.

I want to run up to him. I want to hug him. I want to kiss him. I want to run my hands through his hair. I want to gaze into his vibrant green eyes once again.

But all I can do is walk away.

**A/N: HAHAHA that went downhill at some point. I'm sorry.**


End file.
